Harleen singh at 08:47, 8 March 2026

2026-03-08T08:47:53Z

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{{Short description|Malayalam dialect spoken by the Byari people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Byari
| altname = Beary
| nativename = ಬ್ಯಾರಿ
| pronunciation = {{IPA|ml|bjaːɾi|IPA}}
| states = [[India]]
| region = [[Tulu Nadu]]
| ethnicity = [[Byari ]]
| speakers = 1,500,000
| familycolor = Dravidian
| fam2 = Southern
| fam3 = [[South Dravidian languages|Southern I]]
| fam4 = Tamil–[[Kannada dialects|Kannada]]
| fam5 = Tamil–[[Kota language (India)|Kota]]
| fam6 = Tamil–[[Toda language|Toda]]
| fam7 = Tamil–Irula
| fam8 = Tamil–[[Kodava language|Kodava]]–[[Urali language|Urali]]
| fam9 = [[Tamiloid languages|Tamil]]–[[Malayalamoid languages|Malayalam]]
| fam10 = [[Malayalamoid languages|Malayalamoid]]
| fam11 = [[Malayalam]] (with significant Tulu influence)
| ancestor = [[Old Tamil language|Old Tamil]]
| ancestor2 = [[Middle Tamil language|Middle Tamil]]
| ancestor3 = [[Old Malayalam]]
| ancestor4 = [[Middle Malayalam]]
| script = [[Kannada script]], [[Malayalam script]], [[Byari script]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Beary Script | url=https://omniglot.com/writing/bearyscript.htm }}</ref>
| minority =
| agency = [[Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy]]
| notice = IPA
}}
{{external media
|float=right
|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmwUGyC-Hh0 A Byari speaker speaking Byari]
}}
'''Byari ''' or '''Beary''' (ಬ್ಯಾರಿ {{IPA|ml|bjaːɾi|IPA}}) is a geographically isolated dialect of [[Malayalam]] spoken by the Byaris who are part of the [[Muslims|Muslim]] community in [[Tulu Nadu]] region of [[Karnataka]] ([[Dakshina Kannada district]], [[Udupi district]] and [[Manjeshwaram taluk]] of [[Kasaragod district]]) and [[Kerala]]. The community is often recognized as [[Byari|Beary]] or Byari Muslims.<ref>[https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tulu-nadus-bashe-byari-language-and-its-struggle-identity-102414 Beary Language's Struggle for Identity]</ref><ref name=studies-ix>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p. ix</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2024}} Beary dialect is made of Tulu phonology and grammar with Malayalam idioms. Due to the trading role of the community, the dialect acquired loan words from other languages of Persian and Arabic sources.<ref name=studies-ix>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p. ix</ref>{{Request quotation|date=January 2024}}.

== Etymology ==
See [[Beary#Etymology]].

==Features==
The dialect generally uses the [[Malayalam]] and [[Kannada language|Kannada]] alphabets for writing. In 2007, the state government established the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy for the preservation and promotion of the Beary literature and culture.<ref name="BearyAcademy">{{cite web |title=About the Academy |url=https://bearyacademy.karnataka.gov.in/ |publisher=Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy |access-date=2026-01-10}}</ref> Being a distant cousin of other dialects of Malayalam and surrounded by other [[language family|linguistic groups]] for centuries, mainly Tulu, the dialect exhibits ancient features as well as modern innovations not seen in other well-known dialects of Malayalam.<ref>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p. 63</ref>
Surrounded by Tulu-speaking populations, the impact of Tulu on the phonological, morphological and syntactic structure of the dialect is evident.<ref>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p. 64</ref>

===Distinction of ''ḻ'', ''ṇ'', ''ṟ''===
Sounds peculiar to Standard Malayalam such as 'ḻ', 'ṇ', 'ṟ' are not found in this dialect.<ref name=studies-65>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p.65</ref> 'ḷ' and 'ṇ' are merged with l and n, respectively.<ref name=studies-65/> 'ṟ' is merged with r and tt, 'tt' to t.<ref name=studies-66>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p.66</ref> This resembles Tulu.<ref name=studies-66/>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!'''Byari'''
!'''Kannada'''
!'''Standard Malayalam'''
!'''English'''
|-
|''sante''
|''sante''
|''canta''
|'market'
|-
|''ēni''
|''ēṇi''
|''ēṇi''
|'ladder'
|-
|''puli''
|''huḷi''
|''puḷi''
|'tamarind'
|-
|''kāt''
|''gāḷi''
|''kāṯṯu''
|'wind'
|-
|''cor''
|''anna''
|''cor''
|'rice'
|}

===''v'' > ''b''===
The initial ''v'' of standard Malayalam corresponds to an initial ''b'' in Byari.<ref name=studies-66/>
The same change has taken place in Tulu, too.

{|class=wikitable
|-
!'''Byari'''
!'''Standard Malayalam'''
!'''Tulu'''
!'''Kannada'''
!'''English'''
|-
|''bēli''
|''vēli''
|''bēli''
|''bēli''
|'fence'
|-
|''bitt''
|''vittu''
|''bitte''
|''bitta'' 1
|'seed'
|-
|''bādige''
|''vāṭaka'' 2
|''bādai''
|''bādege''
|'rent'
|}

# Some dialects.
# This orthographic representation is phonemic. On a phonetic level, it often becomes {{IPA|[ˈʋaːɖəɡə]}}, which is closer to the Tulu and Byari forms. This occurs because of a rule whereby [[Plosive#Voice|voiced plosive consonants]] are intervocalic allophones of their unvoiced counterparts. However, this only applies to native Dravidian words, and as ''vāṭaka'' is a Sanskrit loanword, the prescriptively correct pronunciation is indeed {{IPA|[ˈʋaːʈəkə]}}.

===Distinction of 'a' and 'e'===
The final 'a' of standard Malayalam corresponds to the final 'e' in Byari.<ref name=studies-66/>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!'''Byari'''
!'''Kannada'''
!'''Standard Malayalam'''
!'''English'''
|-
|''āme''
|''āme''
|''āma''
|'tortoise'
|-
|''cēre''
|''kere''
|''cēra''
|'rat snake'
|-
|''mūle''
|''mūle''
|''mūla''
|''corner''
|}

===Distinction of 'n' and 'm'===
The word final 'n' and 'm' of standard Malayalam are dropped in Byari.<ref name=studies-66/>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!'''Byari'''
!'''Standard Malayalam'''
!'''Kannada'''
!'''English'''
|-
|''ādya''
|''ādyam''
|(''modalu'')
|'first'
|-
|''kalla''
|''kaḷḷan''
|''kaḷḷa''
|'thief'
|-
|''cattae''
|''kuppāyam''(catta)
|(''batte'')
|'cloth'
|}

===Degeminated consonants===
[[Gemination|Geminated]] consonants occurring after a long vowel and also after a second short vowel of a word in standard Malayalam get degeminated in Byari.<ref>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p.67</ref>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!'''Byari'''
!'''Standard Malayalam'''
! '''Tulu'''
!'''English'''
|-
|''pūce''
|''pūcca''
|''pucce''
|'cat'
|}

===Lexical relations===
Almost all lexical items in Byari dialect can be related to corresponding lexical items in other Malayalam varieties, Tulu or Perso-Arabic origin.<ref name=studies-79>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p.79</ref>
However, some equivalents can only be found in [[Mappila Malayalam|Mappila]] dialects of Malayalam in Kerala.<ref name=studies-79/>

==Person endings==
Verbs in old [[Dravidian languages]] did not have any person marking.<ref name=studies-68>{{Harvnb|Upadhyaya|1996}}, p.68</ref> Person endings of verbs observed in modern Dravidian languages are later innovations.<ref name=studies-68/>
Malayalam is the only Dravidian language that does not show any verbal person suffixes,<ref name=studies-68/> so Malayalam verbs can be said to represent the original stage of Dravidian verbs (though Old Malayalam did have verbal person suffixes at some point).<ref name=studies-68/> Person suffixes in Byari closely resemble those of Tulu,<ref name=studies-68/> although the past tense in this dialect agrees with that of standard Malayalam in shape as well as in the distribution of allomorphs.<ref name=studies-68/>

== Arabic influence ==
Byari has a strong lexical influence of the Arabic language.<ref>[http://www.tamil.net/list/2000-12/msg00490.html Arabic and other language influence] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615080525/http://www.tamil.net/list/2000-12/msg00490.html |date=15 June 2011 }}</ref> Nativised Arabic words are very common in everyday speech, especially in coastal areas. Byari also has words related to [[Tamil language|Tamil]]. Tamil and Standard Malayalam Speakers can understand Byari dialect upto a great extent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! '''Byari '''!!'''Arabic'''!!'''English'''
|-
| ''saan''||''ṣaḥn'' صحن||Plate
|-
| ''pinjhana''||''finjān'' فنجان||Bowl/cup
|-
| ''kayeen''||''nikāḥ'' نكاح||Nuptials
|-
| ''Seithaan''||''Šayṭān'' شيطان||Evil spirit
|-
| ''patthre''||''faṭīra'' فطيرة||Bread
|-
| ''Kalbu''||''qalb'' قلب||Heart
|-
| ''Rabbu''||''rabb'' رب||God
|-
| ''Supra''||''sufra'' سفرة||Dining Mat
|-
| ''Kubboosu''||''ḵubz'' خبز||Bread
|}

==Byari dialect films==
The first Byari-dialect feature film ''[[Byari (film)|Byari]]'' shared the award for the best feature film at the [[59th National Film Awards|59th Indian National Film Awards]].<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/heres-why-byari-won-the-national-award-for-best-film/20120307.htm Here's why Byari won the National Award for Best Film]. Rediff.com (7 March 2012). Retrieved on 2017-04-26.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Arabi Malayalam]]
* [[Ahmed Noori]]
* [[Mygurudu]] secret-language from Malabar Muslims of Northern Kerala

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{Cite book| editor-last = Upadhyaya| editor-first = U. Padmanabha| date = 1996| title = Coastal Karnataka: studies in folkloristic and linguistic traditions of Dakshina Kannada Region of the western coast of India| publisher = Ku. Shi. Abhinandana Samiti, Rashtrakavi Govind Pai Samshodhana Kendra| location = Udupi| isbn = 978-81-86668-06-1}}

{{Dravidian languages}}

[[Category:Islamic culture]]
[[Category:Languages of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Languages of Kerala]]
[[Category:Malayalam language]]
[[Category:Arabi Malayalam]]

Byari dialect - Revision history

Harleen singh at 08:47, 8 March 2026